Together, we are Sustainable Stanford

Group photo on Stanford campus of partners from across campus who celebrated the completion of the Zero Waste Building System

Own Your Role

Power Smart Practices

Culture Change, Efficiency, Maintenance

On hot days, review campus conservation best practices to help outsmart hitting peak power.

Mother and daughter carrying a shelving unit as they move into campus

Move In Sustainably

Culture Change, Zero Waste

Guide to reduce your environmental impact as you move onto Stanford’s campus

Become a Waste Sorting Expert in Under 10 Minutes

Recycling, Zero Waste

Take the quick, online training to get the lowdown on waste sorting at Stanford.

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100% renewable electricity for the past 2 years

81% reduction in Scope 1 & 2 greenhouse gas emissions

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Stories
of Impact

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Stanford Launches Cross-Campus Pilot for Organic Landscape Management

Conservation & Biodiversity, Health, Land Use, Living Lab

Organic landscape pilot brings together R&DE, LBRE, and DAPER to advance soil health, biodiversity, and resilient landscapes.

Reimagining School Lunch: Sustainability in Every Bite

Culture Change, Health, Zero Waste

From growing their own lettuce to ditching single-use plastics, Palo Alto Unified School District is transforming how school lunch is served.

Living Lab
Projects

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Project: Reducing Embodied Carbon in Construction

Construction & Demolition, Living Lab

Doctoral student Eleni Alexandraki, B.S. ’19 and M.S. ’21, developed a set of Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment Guidelines for her Living Lab Fellowship Project.

Sunset over campus view with student on bikes

Project: Scheduling for Sustainability

Efficiency, Emissions, Living Lab

Justin West ’25 piloted an occupancy-based HVAC scheduling system in the Gates building, aiming to reduce energy consumption by 20% through adjustments based on real-time data.

Systems that Work Together

Water

Supplying water to the campus, preserving existing supplies, and implementing alternatives with appropriate quality for use

Food

Designing a sustainable culinary culture through procurement standards, menu design, and food recovery

Transportation

Motivating sustainable commutes, alleviating congestion, and reducing vehicle and business travel emissions

Energy

Powering campus with a cost-efficient thermal system that reduces direct greenhouse gas emissions by 80%

Waste

Reducing impacts through waste reduction, standardized collection, effective contract management, and outreach and education

Land & Buildings

Stewarding Stanford lands, including biological and cultural resources, and ensuring sensible, thoughtful growth

Campus as a Living Lab for Sustainability

Research, lead, and shape sustainability by using all the resources campus has to offer

Engage with Stanford’s Living Lab

Protecting Our Power Supply

The Stanford campus community outsmarts hitting peak power by reducing electricity on weekdays from 12 to 8 p.m.

Learn about Power Smart